


Dredging Up Ghosts

by dillonmania



Series: The Dillonsverse [2]
Category: The Flash (Comic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Family, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-30
Updated: 2012-04-30
Packaged: 2017-11-04 13:45:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/394542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dillonmania/pseuds/dillonmania
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why can't the holidays be perfect?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dredging Up Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> To introduce this series: It's an AU which split from DC canon shortly before the Top died (in other words, he never died and Lisa never became a vengeance-crazed villain, although at some point she went into petty theft like the rest of the Rogues). Eventually Top and Glider retired and had kids: Lisa Star Dillon and Nathaniel Dillon.

It was time for the evening’s main event, and the children were utterly delighted by the unpacking of all the colourful Christmas decorations and artificial tree. Their parents were less entertained by the spectacle, since they had to do all the work.  
“Who put these damned lights away last year?” Roscoe muttered angrily when faced with a clump of tangled LED lights, muttering further when Lisa reminded him “You did, dear.”   
“Can we put the ormaments on now?” Nate asked. Still very young, he didn’t realize he’d pronounced anything incorrectly.  
“OrNAments, stupid,” his big sister corrected, and Lisa could see the angry pouting begin. She quickly went to head it off before it became a scene.

“Here, why don’t you both put one on while Daddy untangles the lights?” she suggested while handing over two small plastic birds. The children eagerly hung them from the highest branch they could respectively reach, excited to be helping.  
“It’ll be a while,” Roscoe grumbled in exasperation, so Lisa began searching through the boxes of ornaments to separate the sturdier ones from the delicates for the children to use. Her most prized ornament was kept in a little box, a small glass trinket that had been a gift from her late mother. It wasn’t especially beautiful or expensive, but the sentimental value made it precious, and she loved it dearly.  
“Be careful,” she cautioned Nate when he jostled her to get a better look at the decorations. His small hand clumsily picked one up and happily placed it on the tree, and she hung up a fancy bauble Roscoe had given her while they were dating.

Nate picked up another and was about to hang it when Star noticed what he was holding.  
“Hey, I made that one, it’s mine!” she shouted at him. He frowned and tried to keep it away from her.  
“Gimme, Nate!” Star said angrily, grabbing for it, and before Lisa could chide her for rudeness or stop the fighting, Nate tripped and fell on the ornament from Shirley Snart.  
Lisa cried out in fear when she realized what had happened, picked up her son, and saw that the beloved keepsake was broken. She immediately burst into tears, soon joined by Nate who realized he’d upset his mother and was probably in trouble.

“Lisa!” Roscoe exclaimed with concern when she wordlessly held up the remains of the ornament. He’d always thought it was rather gaudy, but knew what it meant to her and cuddled her to him. She cried into his shoulder as he glowered at Nate, and the boy howled even louder. Star was shocked into awed silence, staring wide-eyed.  
“I’ll repair it, sweetheart; it’ll be all right,” Roscoe comforted his wife, who try as she might, couldn’t stop crying. She _knew_ it could probably be repaired, but somehow felt guilty for allowing it to be broken in the first place. She felt as though she’d let her dead mother down. And tears and family strife upset her more than Roscoe could ever understand, which just made everything worse. She’d failed to make everything perfect for her family. She was a failure as a mother.

“C’mon hon,” Roscoe was saying as he rubbed her shoulder soothingly, getting worried that she wasn’t calming down. “It’ll be all right, I promise.”  
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Lisa sobbed. “I’m sorry I ruined everything.”  
“You didn’t ruin anything. We’re fine. You’ll be fine, and I’ll repair your ornament, good as new. Nate’s sorry he broke it, aren’t you Nate?”  
“Yes,” the boy sniffled, although by now even he was quieting down. Lisa was still going.  
“I’m sorry everyone’s so upset because of me, please don’t cry, Nate!” she said through her tears. Shirley hadn’t been able to stop the tears in her family, but Lisa had always been determined to do better. No one should ever have to cry. Her children should be happy.

“This isn’t your fault,” Roscoe said firmly, starting to get an idea of what was bothering her. “It was an accident, it happens. Stop blaming yourself.”  
“I don’t want things to be this way for them,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “I want them to have good memories of stuff like this, not memories of crying and being scared. I’m sorry I messed things up.”  
“The sooner you calm down, the sooner they’ll get over it,” he said quietly in her ear, and she took a deep breath. The hysteria was gone, with just a bit of trembling and sniffling remaining, but she was utterly drained. Roscoe walked her over to the couch and helped her sit down, herded the silent kids to sit at her feet, and sat down next to her.

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Nate said mournfully as he leaned against her legs and looked up at her. “I’ll be good.” Lisa hugged him tightly, and then Star too for good measure.  
“Just be careful, okay Nate?” Roscoe asked. “Star, you too, you know you’re not supposed to grab things. Why don’t you get your mom some cookies to cheer her up?”  
The girl scampered off to the kitchen while Roscoe went to the scene of the accident to ensure all the pieces had been picked up. They were taken to his workshop for later repair.  
A few minutes later the entire family sat quietly in the living room, munching on cookies. The mood was considerably lighter, and Roscoe kept a calming arm around Lisa’s shoulders. Finally, she smiled, and suggested they finish decorating the tree.


End file.
